Chusetts



THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAP" co., WASHINGTON, D. c.

0. OHLSON;

SETTING DEVICE FOR MECHANICAL TIME FUSES.

- APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6.'I9I7.

Patented July 29, 1919 Q 0% OZoZsoro UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLOF OHLSON, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WALT HAM WATCH COMPANY, OF WALTI-IAM, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed March 6, 1917. Serial No. 152,798.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLOF OHLsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Mi ddlesex and State of hIassachusetts, have invented new and useful projectile is loaded, and after lapse of a predetermined length of time such mechanism either permits or causes the actuation of a firing pin, hammer, or equivalent device, which causes ignition of the charge of explosive in the projectile. In mechanical time fuses as heretofore produced the force for impelling the timing mechanism has been applied by either a spring motor, or a weight standing relatively still while the shell spins by reason of the rotation imparted thereto by the rifling of the gun, or a vane which is withheld from spinning with the shell by air resistance. My invention is applicable to any of the types of mechanical time fuse above indicated, and it consists in an improved'means for setting the adjustable timing member, with which the controlling mechanisms of such fusesare provided, in order to determine the length of time which shall elapse between the firing of the projectile and its bursting. For convenience of illustration I have shown, and will hereinafter describe, the present invention in connection witha time fuse having a timing disk connected with and adjustable relatively to the chronometric mechanism, and in connection with an external setting cap, all of the same general nature as illustrated in my pending application filed June 19, 1916, Serial Number 104,416, but without intending thereby to indicate any limitation of the invention. So far as the protection which I desire to secure in the patent to be issuedv upon the present application is con cerned, I desire to state that this invention is applicable to any type of mechanical fuse having an exterior setting member and an internal adjustable timing member, and it consists principally in a peculiar coupling between said members having the mode of operation and functions hereinafter set forth. I will now proceed to a detailed description of the invention in connection with the drawings. In the latter Figure I' is a partial side elevation and a partial longitudinal section of a time fuse to which my invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on the same plane as Fig. 2 showing a modification.

Figs. 4 and 5 are an elevation and an axial section respectively of a pOI'tiOIl of the modification shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing the modified device in a difierent position.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The base of the fuse is indicated at a and therein are contained a cap or pellet b of fulminating material capable of being ignited by the blow of a firing pin or hammer, and passages adapted to be filled with combustible material for conducting fire to the bursting charge of the projectile to which the fuse is applied. On the base is mounted a setting member or cap 0 which is rotatable thereon and at the same time secured by a key member cl, conveniently a wire inserted in complemental grooves formed respectively in coaxial bearing surfaces of a part ofthe base and a part of the setting cap. 6 represents a timing mechanism, which may be a clock movement, or any other kind of mechanism capable of being driven by a spring, by inertia of a heavy body, or by air resistance, when the projectile is in flight. The only part which is important to the present invention to consider in detail is the setting member or disk 7, which is mounted frictionally on an arbor g which forms part of the timing movement, and is'adapted to be driven rotatively by said arbor when permitted, and is at the same time adjustable about the same. This timing disk is shown in detail in Fig. 2. At one point of its periphery is a projecting tongue it, at opposite sides of which are notches z' and j, the latter of which is adapted to receive the end of a coupling member is, such coupling member being a resilient. bar or rod, conveniently made as a strip of sufficiently thick sheet metal, secured fixedly at one end to the setting member or cap 0, by means of a rivet, screw or other fastening Z, and having its other end is bent toward the timing disk so as to provide a finger adapted to enter the notch j. As shown in Fig. 1 said coupling member, which is called a bar for convenience of description, is located in the same lane with the timing disk.

A feature of the coupling important to be kept in mind is that it is formed as to lie, when in its normal state, free from stress, in a position close to the setting member, its finger 72 being then withdrawn from the notch j and displaced from the periphcry of the timing disk, and that its resilience causes it constantly to tend to assume that position. It is only engaged with the disk as shown in Fig. 2 when displaced by application of force out of the position which it normally assumes when free to move and when not acted upon by external force.

For placing and retaining the coupling member in such engagement with. the timing disk I provide a pin on having a head adapted to bear against the coupling member near its free end, and having a shank passing through the setting member 0. A cap or cover a is provided to fit over a part of the setting member, and is further provided with a flange n which lies outside of the shank of said pin m, holding the outer end of the shank flush with the setting member and causing its inner end to hold the coupling member in displaced position and in connection with the timing disk as shown in the drawings. Preferably the setting member and cover are formed with cylindrical contacting surfaces, as shown, in the Zone where the pin m is located so that the cover will be retained frictionally in place.

The function of the cover is merely to retain the pin and the coupling member in their displaced position, wherein the coupling member is held under stress, wherefore it is evident that any other contrivance capable of performing the same function would be equivalent to the cover a, and that therefore the latter need not be made as a complete cap or disk. For example, it might be an abbreviated ring constituting the part a, or in place of the same could be substituted a temporary retainer of any other suitable character, as

for instance, a screw threaded into the setting member beside the pin m and having a head adapted to overlie the outer end of the shank of the latter. Thus the description of the cap or cover a is not to be taken as in any sense a limitation of the invention. Said cap or cover is essentially a re tainer for the coupling member to hold the same in coupling position, and it is to be understood as such by whatever term it is designated in this description and in the following claims.

One of the possible modifications which may be given to the cap or retainer is shown in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, wherein the cap or retainer is permanently connected to the setting member and is adapted to perform the functions hereinbefore described without ever being removed from the setting member. In this modification the cap is of the same form as of that already dcscribed and is designated by the same reference letter a. It is retained permanently in place by means shown in Fig. 4, consisting of a stud 10, which may be a pin or screw etc. set into the setting member and occupying a slot 11 in the flange a of the cap. Thereby the cap is enabled to retate through a limited angle. In place of the pin m for acting on the coupling I pro vide a pin m which is permanently attached to the coupling member and has a beveled face m The part 11 of the retainer has a hole 12 through which said pin m may project when such hole is brought into register with the hole 13 in the setting member wherein said pin normally lies. The pin and slot connection 10, 11 between the setting member and retainer allows the latter to be shifted from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 6, and the reverse, whereby to bring the hole 12 into and out of register with the hole 13. WVhen these holes are brought into register, as shown in Fig. 6, the pin m. is released and the coupling is allowed to spring out of engagement with the timing disk. But it is possible to reengage the coupling with the disk by turning the retainer into the position shown in Fig. 3, when the edge of the hole 12 bears on the beveled face in of the pin m and forces the coupling inward. Thus it is made easily possible to reset the timing member of the fuse, either to correct an erroneous previous setting or to produce an entirely different setting.

Various other modifications embodying the same essential principle will readily occur to the skilled mechanic. It is my intention to include all such modifications within the protection of my claims.

When the movement of the time fuse is in operation it drives the disk f in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. The timing of the fuse is determined by the angular distance in the direction of said arrow from the notch i to the finger 0 on a trigger controlling lever p which is pivoted to the movement frame just below the plane of the disk f. It is suflicient for explanation of the present invention to say that in the type of fuse here shown for illustration the finger 0 normally bears against the periphery of the disk, holding the lever 9 in such position that a shoulder q thereon lies in the path of a trigger device v" and so retains the firing pin or haminer of the fuse in cocked position. Such trigger mechanism is fully described in my pending application hereinbefore referred to and need not be described again here. It is sufficient to state that when the notch j arrives beside the finger 0, the lever ,0 is enabled to move far enough to displace shoulder from the path of the trigger arm 1*, then allowing the hammer or firing pin to detonate the charge. The angle between notch 2' and finger 0 is varied as desired by rotating the setting member 0, which transmits movement through the coupling member to the timing disk The connection between the coupling member and timing disk is positive, wherefore such adjustment may be effected in either direction. After the timing adjustment has been made as above indicated, the retainer a is removed from the fuse prior to loading the projectile into the gun, whereupon the coupling member immediately and by reason of its own resilience springs out of the notch y', leaving the timing disk free to be propelled in the forward direction by the time mechanism, as soon as the latter is set in motion. At the same time the portion 70 of the coupling member !still remains in back of tongue h, and prevents the disk from being dislodged from the adjusted position by inertia when the shell starts to rotate upon encountering the rifiing of the gun after being fired. It is to be understood, of course, that the mechanism is caused to rotate the disk in the direction of spinning of the shell. It is also to be understood that the fuse is provided with means which sets the mechanism in operation, or cause it to be set in operation, by the setback occasioned by the shock of firing the gun, wherefore as soon as the gun is fired, the mechanism or movement sets the timing disk in motion toward the posi tion wherein it releases the firing pin or hammer.

It will be readily appreciated that the essentials of the coupling means which I have coupling member, while being disengaged in such manner as to permit unimpeded for ward driven movement'of the timingmemher, also prevents any displacement of the timing member from its adjusted position by torque applied by its inertia when the shell commences to rotate. The advantages or features of practical utility following from the physical characteristics of the setting device or coupling herein described include the following very important ones.

First, that the coupling is released from the timing member, and the latter is left free to commence its motion, before the gun is fired, and opportunity is given to those in charge of the gun to make sure that the timing member is so disengaged. Nothing is left to chance; that is, there is no possibility that the fuse will fail to explode the shell at the desired instant arising from the accidental failure of the coupling to release the timing member, as may be possible in fuses wherein release is efiected by forces brought into operation by or upon firing of the gun.

Second, the coupling after being disengaged from the timing member still pro vides an abutment which is positive in its nature and absolutely prevents any accidental disarrangement of the adjustment of the timing member. The tendency to dislodge sald member acts only in one direction, that is contrary to the direction in which it is driven by the time movement, and the coupling is a positive stop to prevent such dislodgment.

i/Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a time fuse the combination with an adjustable setting member and an adjustable herein shown and described in detail, may

be adapted with or Without modification in;

mechanical details, and without departing ting members and other specific forms of timing devices. The invention which I here claim comprises the combination with a timing device of any character and a setting member of any character, of a coupling member which tends normally to become disengaged from one of said members, and is so disengaged prior to the firing of the projectile; I also claim in such combinatiming member, of a coupling between said members, said coupling being normally under stress tending to disengage it from one of the members, and a retainer for holding the same in such engagement, adapted to be displaced prior to the firing of the gun in which the projectile equipped with the fuse is loaded.

2. The combination with a setting memher and an adjustable timing member, of a coupling secured to one of said members and engaged with the other member, and means for holding said coupling in such engagement, the coupling being constantly acted upon by force tending to displace it from 3. In a time fuse the combination with an adjustable timing member and a setting member, of a coupling secured to one of said members and disconnectibly engaged with the other of said members, and means for causing disengagement of the coupling from the latter prior to firing; said other member and the coupling having complemental abuttion the means or provisions by which the ting; portions, arranged when the coupling is so disengaged, to prevent retrograde movement of the setting member.

4:. The combination with an adjustable timing member and a setting member, of a resilient coupling secured to one of said members and being of such form that it tends to occupy a position out of engagement with the other member, said other member having a portion then overlapping a part of said coupling to prevent retrograde movement of the timing member while permitting ferward'movement thereof, and means for placing said coupling in coupled relation with that member wherewith it is removably engaged.

5. The combination with I an adjustable timing member and a setting member, of a coupling comprising a resilient bar secured to one of said members and having a laterally movable portion engaged with the other member, said bar being of such form that it tends to withdraw its movable portion from said other member, and displaceable retaining means for holding said portion in engagement with said other member.

(5. The combination with an adjustable timing member and a setting member, of a couplingcomprising a resilient bar secured to one of said members and having a later ally movable portion engaged with the other member, said bar being of such form that it tends to withdraw its movable portion from said other member, and displaceable retaining means for holding said portion in engagement with said other member, the lastnamed member having an abutment arranged to overlap said movable portion when the latter is so withdrawn, in such manner as to prevent retrograde movement of the timing member while permitting its forward movement.

7. In a time fuse the combination with a timing member having a recess, and a setting member, of a coupling comprising a resilient bar secured at one end to said setting member and having its free end formed and adapted to enter said recess, said bar being under stress normally tending to withdraw its free end from said recess, and a temporary retaining means holding said end in said recess against the tension of the cou pling bar.

8. In a time fuse the combination with a timing member having a recess, and a setting member, of a coupling comprising a resilient bar secured at one end to said setting member and having its free end formed and adapted to enter said recess, said bar being under stress normally tending to withdraw its free end from said recess, and a temporary retaining means holding said end in said recess against the tension of the coupling bar, and the timing member having a projection beside said recess overlapping the end of the coupling bar when the latter is withdrawn from the recess, in such manner as to prevent backward movement of the timing disk.

9. In a time fuse the combination with an adjustable timing member, of a setting member, a coupling connected to one of said members and displaceably engaged with the other member, and a retainer; said retainer being movable relatively to said setting member, and said retainer and the coupling member having complemental cooperating abutting portions arranged to hold said coupling in its engaging relation when the re tainer is in one position, and to permit disengagement thereof when the retainer is in a different position.

10. In a time fuse the combination with an adjustable timing member, of a setting member, a coupling connected to one of said members and displaceably engaged with the other member, and a retainer; said retainer and the coupling member having complemental reaction elements and the retainer being movable relatively to the setting member, whereby such relative movement of the retainer in one direction is adapted to cause engagement of the coupling and movement in a different direction to cause disengagement of the coupling.

In testimony whereof I have atfixed my signature.

OLOF OHLSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

